WO2000021873A1

WO2000021873A1 - Jigger with handle for providing frosting effect

Info

Publication number: WO2000021873A1
Application number: PCT/FR1999/002405
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Gilles Soupeaux
Original assignee: Rouge, Bernard
Priority date: 1998-10-08
Filing date: 1999-10-07
Publication date: 2000-04-20
Also published as: FR2784357A1; AU5990799A

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for pouring a dose of liquid into a glass comprising a measuring member (5) actuated by respectively pushing up and lowering a glass (9), for filling a reserve vessel (6) and for pouring the resulting measured liquid into the glass (9). The invention is characterised in that the measuring member (5) is associated with means (14) for refrigerating said liquid dose (4) to be consumed, comprising means for expanding (15) a refrigerating gas stream (16) directed, either towards the empty glass (9), to generate a frosting effect (A) thereon, or against the vessel (6) wall to cool the liquid dose (4), said expansion means (15) being actuated at the user's request, immediately before the liquid (4) is poured out.

Description

SHIFT DOSER WITH ICING DEVICE

The present invention relates to a device for pouring a metered quantity of liquid to be dispensed per unit, especially for filling glasses in a bar or other place where drinks are dispensed. It is known, for the most commonly served drinks, to place an inverted bottle on a support, the neck being turned downwards and provided with a pouring-dosing device which makes it possible to pour a determined quantity of liquid into a glass. Pouring-dosers intended for this use comprise a metering tank placed in communication with the bottle, generally by means of a tube which passes through the stopper and opens, at its lower part, into the metering tank, by an orifice associated with a removable closure member of the valve type. This can be actuated by an upward push which determines the closing of the liquid inlet orifice and the pouring into the glass of the quantity of liquid contained in the metering tank, by opening a exit from it. When the glass is removed, the valve closes and the dosing tank is again placed in communication with the interior of the bottle to be filled with a new dose.

Such presentation supports are known and widely distributed in bars and all drinking establishments in general because they allow efficient and rapid service, with a perfect dosage of the drink to be served. However, the bottles must be equipped in advance with a pouring-dosing device and are presented permanently, generally above the bar. It is therefore not possible to serve refrigerated drinks, unlike, for example, beer or cider which can be served on pressure, at from a barrel itself maintained at the desired temperature.

However, the consumer sometimes wants certain drinks, expensive enough to be served by the glass, to be refrigerated at a temperature of, for example, between 0 and 10 °.

These are, for example, fruit alcohols, whiskey, cognac, or other alcoholic drinks such as liqueurs and various digestives. The simplest is obviously to place ice cubes in the glass but they melt in the drink and therefore dilute it. To avoid this dilution, the waiter can refrigerate the glass in which he stirs the ice cubes for a certain time before throwing them out and pouring the drink into the glass thus cooled. But such an operation is a waste of time and disrupts the service, in case of crowds for example.

Of course, one can also consider putting the bottle to serve in a refrigerator, but such a solution does not allow the bottle to be left permanently in public view, on a presentation medium, with the possibility of immediately filling a glass. of an amount already present in the dispenser.

The invention remedies these drawbacks by means of a new pouring device making it possible to serve refrigerated drinks at the unit without the risk of dilution of these by ice cubes. The invention therefore relates, in general, to a device for pouring a metered quantity of a liquid to be delivered to the unit from a container, comprising a support for the container, a first receiving member for '' a metered amount of liquid associated with metering means, a second member for receiving said metered amount of liquid, and means with two positions for controlling the passage of the metered amount of liquid, successively, in the first member for receiving via a first means for putting the latter in communication with the container, then in the second receiving member by means of a second means for putting the latter in communication with the first receiving member.

According to the invention, the metering device is associated with means for refrigerating the metered quantity of liquid by spraying a jet of refrigerant gas towards one or the other of said first or second organs for receiving said quantity. dosed.

The invention applies especially to a device for filling glasses, individually, from a bottle mounted inverted on a support provided with a cannula which pierces the stopper to open, at an upper end in the bottle and at a lower end in a reserve tank fixed to the underside of the support and constituting the first member for receiving the liquid. This is connected by a tube constituting the second means of communication, to a pouring orifice below which a glass can be placed which constitutes the second member for receiving the metered quantity of liquid. In this case, the means for controlling the passage of the liquid is actuated alternately by pushing and withdrawing the glass, respectively for the passage through the glass of the metered amount contained in the reserve tank, with the first setting means closed. communication, and for the passage of a new metered quantity, of the bottle in the reserve tank, with closure of the second means of communication.

In a preferred embodiment, the refrigeration means comprise a pressure tank, containing a compressed gas and connected, by a pipe provided with a pressure reducer, to at least one outlet nozzle of a gas jet directed either to a glass placed below the filling control member, ie towards the reserve tank. In a particularly advantageous manner, the nozzle supply line is provided with a valve with two positions, respectively of opening and closing of the nozzle, which can be actuated by the movement of the glass just before the contact of the latter. ci with the control unit.

The invention therefore makes it possible, in a single operation broken down into two stages, to firstly cool the glass or the reserve tank and immediately pour the metered quantity of liquid into the glass, which constitutes a significant time saving in the service. In addition, in the case of prior refrigeration of the glass, the frosting effect thus caused, almost instantaneously, on the glass, has a user-friendly, even playful, appeal, capable of having a commercial impact on the clientele.

In a first embodiment, the compressed gas reservoir consists of a small cartridge removably attached to the support of the container. In another embodiment, the compressed gas tank consists of a bottle placed at a distance from the filling device, possibly in another room. placing the bottle 2 on the plate 31. This cannula 10 opens at its upper end in the bottle 2 and at its lower end in the reserve tank 6. The latter is associated with a control member 12 having two positions , respectively, a first position for placing the bottle 2 in communication with the tank 6, for filling the latter with the cannula 10 and a second position for closing the cannula 10 and for placing the tank 6 in communication with the glass 9 for pouring into it, through an orifice 7, the metered quantity contained in the tank 6.

Usually, the control member 12 is slidably mounted vertically on a support 61 which is tightly fixed on the lower part of the tank 6, itself fixed on the support plate 31. The support 61 forms a socket through which a tube 13 open at its lower end, to form the pouring orifice 7 and capable of communicating with the reserve tank 6 through an orifice 8a.

Inside the tank 6 is placed a metering device 8 consisting of a massive piece whose external volume is less than the internal volume of the tank 6 so as to limit an annular space 62 which determines the quantity 40 of liquid to be served, this being equal to the difference between the volume of the tank 6 and that of the metering device 8.

The metering device 8 is fixed to the upper end of the tube 13 which is slidably mounted axially on the sleeve 61 and is secured, by an articulated connection, with the control member 12, so as to move therewith. The pouring orifice 7 placed at the lower end of the tube 13 is located slightly below the control member 12. The latter therefore forms, with the tube 13 and the metering device 8, a sliding assembly which is biased downwards by an elastic member not shown, in a lower position for which the metering device 8 comes in abutment on the bottom of the tank 6. This sliding assembly can therefore occupy two positions, respectively the lower position, shown in Figure 2, for filling the tank 6 and an upper position, shown in Figure 3, for filling the glass 9. In this position, the glass 9 rests on the control member 12 to push the assembly upwards, by closing the cannula 10 for bringing the bottle 2 into communication with the tank 6, and by opening the tube 13 for placing the tank 6 in communication with the pouring orifice 7.

To this end, the upper end of the tube 13 is closed by a partition 8b preferably placed slightly above the upper face of the metering device 8 and which comes to close the lower orifice 10a of the cannula 10 when the assembly is pushed up, in the position of figure 3.

On the other hand, the tube 13 is provided with at least one lateral orifice 8a placed in its central part, below the metering device 8, so as to be inside the socket 61, a little below the bottom. of the tank 6, when the sliding assembly is biased downwards, in the position shown in FIG. 1. The tube 13 passes through the bushing 61 with a simple sliding clearance and the lateral orifice 8a is therefore closed, in this position, by the sleeve 61. The annular space 62 between the external wall 60 of the tank 6 and the metering device 8 is then placed in communication with the interior of the bottle by the cannula 10 and is filled with liquid. When the user wants to fill a glass 9, he approaches it to the control member 12 which comprises several transverse arms and, by exerting an upward push, he remounts the assembly in the position shown in FIG. 3 , until the metering device 8 comes to rest against the underside of the support plate 31.

In the lowered position of Figures 1 and 2, the partition 8b formed at the upper end of the tube 13 is at a distance (e) from the lower end 10a of the cannula 10, substantially equal to the distance between the upper face of the dispenser 8 and the underside of the fixing plate 31 and slightly greater than the distance between the lateral orifice 8a of the tube 13 and the underside of the dispenser 8.

In this way, when the control member 12 is reassembled, with the tube 13 and the metering device 8, in the raised position of FIG. 3, the partition 8b for closing the tube 13 closes the lower orifice 10a of the cannula 10 and at the same time, the lateral orifice 8a leaves the bushing 61 and rises above the level of the bottom of the tank 6, so as to put the annular space 62 into communication with the tube 13. The quantity of liquid dosed can then pass below the metering device 8 and pass through the tube 13 in order to be discharged, through the lower orifice 7, into the glass 9.

When the glass 9 is removed, the metering device 8 is returned elastically downwards, until its underside bears against the bottom of the tank 6. The lateral opening 8a is then closed and the opening 10a of the cannula 10 is opened to let the liquid flow and fill the tank 6 with a new dose.

It is only by way of example that this known device has been described, other means equivalents that can be used to measure the amount of liquid poured into the glass.

According to the invention, the pouring-metering device 5 is associated with a device 14 for refrigerating the liquid 4 to be consumed, comprising means for releasing a refrigerant gas 16, which can be actuated on request by the user, immediately before pouring the liquid 4 in glass 9.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in the figures, the release and the propulsion of a jet of refrigerant gas 16 inside the glass 9 to be served are determined, creating an icing effect A on the wall of it.

But according to another embodiment not shown in the drawings, the jet of refrigerant gas 16 can also be made to act directly against the wall of the tank 6 containing in reserve the dose of liquid 40 to cool it just before serving it .

In both cases of application, the cooling of the glass 9 or the cooling of the tank

6 is therefore carried out prior to the flow of the liquid 4.

The refrigeration device 14 comprises a pressure tank 17 containing a gas compressed in the liquid state and connected to an outlet nozzle 18 via a pressure reducer 19 and a conduit 20 partially forming a coil 21.

Advantageously, the reservoir 17 can consist of a small cartridge, fixed on the support 1 of the bottle, for example, behind a panel carrying a placard designating the drink served. Such a cartridge must be designed to withstand a pressure of 180 to 200 bars, for example, according to the safety standards in force.

This cartridge is arranged horizontally or vertically, so that a dip tube can be immersed in the gas in the liquid state.

The gas release means 15 consist of a valve 22 interposed in a straight part 20a of the duct 20 near the outlet nozzle 18, the valve being able, moreover, to be incorporated in the nozzle 18.

Normally, the refrigerant gas 16 used will be carbon dioxide, this gas being economical and easy to obtain. However, other refrigerant gases may be used for the same purpose, the gas also having to be adapted to the constitution of the nozzle and the valve.

Indeed, the nozzle and the valve must be able to be actuated for a very short time but at any time and, sometimes, at very close intervals. It is therefore necessary to avoid any risk of blockage by icing of the gas inside the nozzle or the valve. For this, it is advantageous to use a valve with substantially linear flow, avoiding as much as possible sudden pressure variations and the gas must be evacuated by a very thin tube, the diameter of which preferably does not exceed 1 mm , so that the gas icing occurs only a little after the exit of the tube. According to a first embodiment, in the case of the cooling of the liquid 4 via the walls of the glass 9, the outlet nozzle 18 of the gas 16 is fixed on the support 1 so as to immerse in the glass 9 at the time of its presentation under the pourer 7. In this way, when the user lifts a glass 9 and approaches the pourer-doser 5 associated with the bottle 2, he can, firstly, first introduce the nozzle 18 into the glass and push the lever laterally 23, against the action of an elastic return means, to open the valve 22 a fraction of a second by releasing a jet of gas 16 which cools the glass 9. In a second step, it brings the glass 9 back in the axis of the bottle 2, leaving the lever 23 to close the valve 22 and then pushes the control member 12 upwards to pour into the glass 9 thus previously frosted, the metered quantity contained in the tank 6.

It can be seen that the cooling of the glass only required an instant, but we know that the sudden expansion of the compressed gas at the outlet of the nozzle 8 immediately determines a drop in temperature with the effect of icing in the glass 9, l thermal inertia thereof being sufficient to then bring to the desired temperature, the liquid poured.

The bottle presentation device with refrigeration means according to the invention can be set up, easily on a fixed element 24 for example by means of a clamp 25 with manual control. Of course, the invention is not limited to the details of the embodiment which has just been described, variants which can be imagined without departing from the protective framework defined by the claims.

In particular, as indicated, the invention can be applied to any device for dispensing a unit of a drink, the operation of this being able to be different from the pourer-doser which has not been described previously. as an example. Similarly, the cooling can be carried out not on the glass 9 but directly on the reserve tank 6. In this case, the outlet nozzle 18 for the gas 7 is directed onto the wall 60 of the tank 6. The latter could also, be limited by a double wall forming an annular chamber concentric with the tank 6 and into which would open the gas injection nozzle.

According to another embodiment not shown, the opening of the means 15 for releasing the gas 16 can be controlled by means of an automatic servo controlled by a proximity sensor associated with the metering-pouring device 5 so as to be sensitive to the approach of the glass 9 being in the hand of the user and causing a spray of gas 16, in the glass 9 or in the chamber concentric with the tank 6, just before the contact of the same glass 9 with the dispenser-pourer 5.

Furthermore, the outlet 18 for the gas 16 may consist of a peripheral distribution ramp (not shown) allowing homogeneous distribution in the glass 9 of a cylindrical jet, concentric with the tank 6.

The reference signs inserted after the technical characteristics mentioned in the claims have the sole purpose of facilitating the understanding of the latter and in no way limit their scope.

Claims

1. Device for pouring a metered quantity (40) of a liquid (4) to be delivered to the unit from a container (2) comprising a support (1) of the container (2), a first member (6) for receiving a metered amount (40) of liquid, associated with metering means (5, 8), a second member (9) for receiving said metered amount of liquid, and a member (12) for two control positions for the passage of the metered quantity of liquid, successively, in the first receiving member (6) by means of a first means (10) for placing the latter in communication with the container (2), then in the second receiving member (9) by means of a second means (13) for putting the latter in communication with the first receiving member (6), characterized in that it is associated with means (14) for refrigerating the metered quantity (40) of liquid, by spraying a jet of refrigerant gas (16) towards one or the other of said first (6 ) or second

(9) bodies for receiving said metered quantity (4).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first receiving member (6) is a reserve tank (6) fixed on a lower face of a part (31) of the support (1) having an upper face fixing the container (2) and traversed by the first communication means

(10) which opens, at an upper end into the container (2) and at a lower end into the reserve tank (6), that the second receiving member is a glass (9) capable of being placed below 'a pouring orifice (7) connected to the reserve tank (6) by the second means of communication (13), and that the control member (12) is actuated alternately by the vertical displacement of the glass (9), respectively upwards for the passage through the glass (9) of the metered quantity (40) contained in the reserve tank (6) with closure of the first communication means ( 10) and downward, for the passage of a new metered quantity from the container (2) to the reserve tank (6), with the second communication means (13) closed.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the control member (12) consists of a part forming a stop for the glass (9), slidably mounted vertically on a support (61) fixed on the tank reserve (6) and integral, in vertical displacement, with a tube (13) constituting the second means of placing in communication, opening, at its lower end, by a pouring orifice (7) and closed at its upper end, said tube (13) being provided with a lateral opening (8a) placed a little below the bottom of the tank (6) in a low position of the tube (13) and the control part (12), so as to be closed by the support (61) thereof, said lateral orifice (8a) opening into the tank (6) after lifting by the glass (9) of the control part (12) and the tube (13).

4. Device according to one of claims 1,

2, 3, characterized in that the refrigeration means (14) are associated with means (15, 18) for releasing a jet of refrigerant gas (16) opening out inside the empty glass (9), to create an icing effect (A) on it.

5. Device according to one of claims 1, 2, 3, characterized in that the refrigeration means (14) are associated with means (15, 18) for releasing a jet of refrigerant gas (16) directed to the reserve tank (6) to cool the metered quantity of liquid contained therein, prior to its flow.

6. Device according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the release means

(15) are actuated at the request of the user, when the glass (9) is approached the control member (12), immediately before the pouring of the liquid (4).

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the refrigeration means (14) comprise a pressure tank (17) containing a compressed gas, and connected by a pipe (20) provided with a pressure reducer (19), at least one nozzle (18) for the outlet of a gas jet (16) directed towards one or the other of the first (6) and second (9) liquid receiving members.

8. Filling device according to claim 7, characterized in that the means for releasing (15) the refrigerant gas comprises a nozzle (18) supplied by a pipe provided with a valve (22) with two positions, respectively of opening and closing of the nozzle (18), said valve being controlled in two stages, by the movement of the glass (9), so as to successively determine the opening and closing of the nozzle (18) just before the contact of the glass (9) with the control member (12).

9. Filling device according to claim 8, characterized in that the outlet nozzle (18) of the gas jet (16) is mounted on the support (1), close to the control member (12) and is directed downwards so that the gas jet

(16) enters the glass (9) when it is presented under the pouring orifice (7), for icing the glass (9) before filling it.

10. Filling device according to claim 8, characterized in that the outlet nozzle (18) of the gas jet (16) is mounted on the support (1), near the reserve tank (6), that -this being limited by an external wall (60) on which the gas jet (16) is directed so as to cool from the outside the dose of liquid (4) contained in the reserve tank (6) at the time of presentation of the glass (9) under the pouring orifice (7), before the opening thereof for filling the glass (9).

11. Filling device according to claim 10, characterized in that the reserve tank (6) is limited by a double wall forming an annular space into which opens the outlet nozzle (18) of the gas jet (16).

12. Filling device according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the valve (22) is associated with a manual control member (23) mounted on the support (1) near the metering means ( 5) and movable between two positions corresponding respectively to the opening and closing of the nozzle (18), said control member (23) being held in the closed position of the valve (22) by an elastic return member and moved towards the open position under the action of the glass (9) when the user places it below the pouring orifice (7)

13. Filling device according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the opening of the valve (22) is controlled by an automatic servo control means controlled by a sensor. proximity associated with the metering means (5) so as to be sensitive to the approach of the glass (9) for controlling the opening of the valve (22) for a short time and the automatic return of the valve (22) to the position of closing.

14. Filling device according to one of claims 4 to 13, characterized in that it comprises an annular ramp for injecting a gas jet substantially homogeneous and concentric with the reserve tank (6).

15. Filling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the refrigerant gas is carbon dioxide.

16. Filling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the refrigerant gas is contained in the liquid state in a cartridge of small dimension fixed removably on the support (1) of the container (2).

17. Filling device according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the refrigerant gas is contained in the liquid state in a bottle placed at a distance from the filling device, possibly in another room.